sports PERHAM -- Picture day. It's the day where you either look your best or your worst. No matter how much you may change, it's a moment in time showing what you looked like.
The Perham High School boys basketball team had its picture day Wednesday. It's something Zach Gabbard probably won't be forgetting...
Detroit Lakes, 56501

Detroit Lakes Minnesota 511 Washington Avenue 56501

2013-03-04 21:10:42

PERHAM -- Picture day. It's the day where you either look your best or your worst. No matter how much you may change, it's a moment in time showing what you looked like.

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The Perham High School boys basketball team had its picture day Wednesday. It's something Zach Gabbard probably won't be forgetting any time soon.

Moments like this mean more to Gabbard these days. He collapsed last January from cardiac arrest, undergoing several procedures to save his life.

The procedures worked. They helped him make an appearance at last spring's Minnesota state tournament, a highlight of a tournament Perham ended up winning.

It's a memory many from Perham have etched in their minds. Not Gabbard. Why? Because his last memory was playing in a summer basketball tournament in Las Vegas, months before he collapsed.

"It's still bad, it's still bad," Gabbard said of his memory loss. "The frustration, it's not there anymore. It's gone away."

Gabbard turned 18 years old on Tuesday. He did nothing special. On Wednesday, he planned to go to Fargo to buy new basketball shoes.

Maybe those will be what he wears if and when he makes his return. Gabbard, a senior, recently went to California and was cleared by a doctor to resume playing basketball.

Even with the clearance, there's caution. Perham head coach Dave Cresap said he and his staff are pacing Gabbard during practices.

"It's been a hard thing for me because I want him so bad to be back out there and play the game he loves," Cresap said. "We take it day-by-day and see how fast his strength comes back. It's been tough and trying, but we have a lot of support."

Gabbard practices for only 10 to 15 minutes. He'll run a little with his teammates. He'll work on his shot and free throws. But that's it.

Cresap and Gabbard both admit he's not there yet. Physically, his build is different than that of his teammates, who are a bit more filled out and more muscular.

Gabbard has gained muscle, looking different than when he showed up to the state tournament in a wheelchair.